For nearly two decades, Jeremy Jones has traveled to Alaska in the spring to explore new zones. During these trips—which often require being dropped in remote areas by a bush plane—space comes at a premium. Consequently, Jeremy and Teton Gravity Research must carefully calculate the resources needed to support and film their expeditions. When selecting team members, they look for people who are as versatile as they are dependable. No one embodies this better than the crew’s camp cook.
During expeditions to Alaska, the camp cook is tasked with more than making oatmeal. Essentially serving as the base camp manager, the cook assists with everything from melting snow for drinking water to belaying snowboarders during descents. As a result, these individuals tend to have “the most dialed mountain skill set around,” explains Jeremy.
And as much as cooking over a camp stove is rewarding, Jeremy reveals that “The real payout for the cook is to shred.” During Jones’ most recent film projects, the crew’s camp cooks were especially strong riders. While filming for Further in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, Canyon Florey turned heads with his descents. Similarly, Lucas Merli surprised Jones and his colleagues during a trip last spring to the Eastern Alaska Range to film for Higher. In addition to impressing the crew with his cooking, Merli satiated their appetite with his riding.